Supporting means for hot tops



June 5, 1928.

E. J. TURNER Filed Nov. 11, 1925 Patented June 5, 1928 UNITED STATESERNEST J. TURNER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR HOT TOPS.

Application filed November 11, 1925. Serial No. 68,306.-

larly to the art of ingot casting by the use of hot tops whereby thequality of the ingots is improved.

It is now customary practice, in a large number of steel companies, toutilize hot tops on the ingot molds in order to prevent piping of theingots. These hot tops are of two general types, one type having a rib,-

shoulder or equivalent supporting means for mai'ntainin the hot tops inposition, and the other type having flexible or adjustable suspending orsupporting means. Vhile the present invention obviates the necessity ofsuchribs, shoulders or the like, without, however, precluding theirretention, it is particularly intended for use with hot tops havingwalls substantially smooth or continuous and devoid of integral ordetachable supporting projections.

To those skilled in the art, it will be understood that hot tops are ofa wide variety of shapes, sizes and compositions, including fireclay orother similar refractory material, slag, cinders, cement, and acombustible or slow burning material. The present invention contemplatesthe use'of any hot tops of these or other characteristics, the utilityof the invention not being limited to any particular kind of hot top.

It is also understoodyby those skilled in the art, that hot tops areutilized with ingot molds of various kinds, including both big end upand big end down molds, and the present invention contemplates the useof molds of any desired characteristics.

It not infrequently happens that, during the formation of aningot, thehot top being utilized cracks or spalls. larly true with. some ofthe'hot tops of larger sizes where there is a very substantialprojection, particularly above the end of the mold. In order to obviateany objectionable results by reason of such, cracking or spalling, -i thasheretofore been proposed to 'utilize reinforcing means extendingaround the hot tops, this reinforcing means frequently being in additionto the ribs, shoulders or the like, provided for supporting the hot to sin osition. Such a construction is consi ered y some'to be objectionablefor the reason thatit requires separate supporting and reinforcing meansfor a single structure, and at the same time neither the reinforcing northe supporting means is effective for This is particuthat portion of-thehot'top which projects farthest into the mold. One of the objects of thepresent invention is to provide supporting means which. is directlyeffective on the lower end of the hot topsand of such construction as toeffectively support the hot tops even in the event of cracking orspallmg. i

A further object of the invention is to providesupporting meanseffective for centering the hot tops and for maintaining the wallsthereof in predetermined spaced relation to the walls of the mold.

A still further object of the invention is to provide supporting meansof such nature that any desired projection of the hot tops into and outof the molds may be obtained, the supporting means being of suchconstruction that each support cooperates with at least two of the moldwalls and thereby facilitates positioning thereof and minimizespossibility of displacement during the mounting of the hot top inposition thereon.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown for purposes ofillustration only, certain preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, it being understood that the drawings do not define thelimits of my invention as changes in the construction, operation andarrangement disclosed therein may be made without departing either fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of my -purpose.of illustratingthe adaptability of the invention to hot tops of different shapes. Incarr ing out the present invention, as illustrate for example in Figures1 and 2, there may be provided an ingot mold 2 of any desiredconstruction, either big end u or big end down, or of otherconstructiona characteristics, the'utility of the invention is not beinglimited with respect to any particular type of mold.

For supporting a hot top in position in the upper end of the mold, theremay be provided supporting means herein illustrated as comprisingsupporting straps having depending central portions 3' and upwardly andoutwardly extending end portions 4. The depending central portions areadapted to extend continuously across a portion of the mold cavity fromone wall of the mold to another wall, each support being constructed forcooperation with at least two of the mold walls. These supports may beapplied to the molds substantially as shown in Figure 2 in such mannerthat the depending central portions 3 will underlie the side Walls 5 ofthe hot top which is to be supported in cooperative relation to themold. It will be obvious that by reason of this positioning of thesupporting means, they do not interfere with the pouring of the metalthrough the hot top, and at the same time they are eflective throughouta substantial portion of the area of the lower end of the hot top. Inthe event of cracking of the hot top, the cracked portions are retainedin position by reason of the provision of the continuously extendingdepressed central portions. 'At the same time, the upstanding endportions 4 serve as spacing means effective between the hot top and themold for maintaining the hot top in predetermined spaced relation.

It will be apparent tov those skilled in the art /that the supports, ifdesired, may be of d able material either throughout or adjacent theirends to enable the same to be bent at different points to vary the planeof support of the hot top, or difl'erent supports may be constructed ofpredetermined dimensions in accordance with the desired positioning ofthe hot top. In like manner, the supports may be of any desiredmaterial, such as fusible material, whereby they will be melted uponcontact with the hot steel to permit sinking of the hot top duringshrinkage or cooling of the ingot; combustible or slow burning wherebycontact with the molten metal will cause the same to ignite 'and give 0eadditional heat to assist in -maintaining the steel in the upper portionof the mold hotter, or of any usual strap iron composition.

In Figure 3 there is illustrated another embodiment of the invention, inwhich the depressed central port-ion 3' of the support extendsdiagonally adjacent one corner of the mold, the upwardly and outwardlyextending end portions 4: also having downward projections 'Gadapted toextend over the edge of the mold walls to definitely position thesupport. It will be understood that one ofthese supports will beprovided adjacent each of two diagonally opposite corners of a mold,each support being constructed for cooperation with at least two of themold walls and being effective for extending below a substantial portionof the hot top ad,-

jacent the corner thereof whereby each support in effect cooperates withat least two sides of the hot top.

A support of the character herein shown in which the depending centralportion extends continuously between at least two of the mold walls, hasbeen found to possess dc cided advantages over a hook-shaped supportwhich merely cooperates with one mold wall and projects into the moldfor coopera tion with a limited portion of the hot top. Such supportsare diflicult to position'and frequently become displaced or knockedfrom the mold walls, thereby making their use somewhat objectionable.

In Figure 4 there is illustrated a modified form of hot top havingtapered walls 7 the lower end of the walls being shown in cooperativerelationship to a support 8.

Due to the construction and location of the supporting means, the hottops may .be

.of any desired shape and composition, the

pressed central portion adapted to directly cooperate with a substantialportion of the area of the lower end of a hot top.

Further advantages arise from the provision of supporting means eachadapted to effectively cooperate with at least two of the mold walls.

I claim:

1. Supporting means for hot tops, comprising supports having dependingcentral portions and upstanding end portions, said central portionsbeing adapted to extend continuously acrossa portion of a mold cavity,each support being shaped to cooperate withat least two of themoldwalls.

2. Supporting means for hot tops, comprlslng combustible supports havingdepending central portions and upstanding end port1ons, each supportbeing shaped to cooperate with and be positioned laterally by at leasttwo of the mold walls.

3. Supporting means forhot tops, com

prising U-shaped supports having depending central portions andupstanding end -portions,each of'said supports being shaped to cooperatewith at least two of the mold walls, and said end portions being shapedto extend over a portion ofthe mold walls."

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand. NE T J TURNER.

